"Squads are (there) to try to cope with these kind of situations and we know that for a few matches - I don't know how many, I really can not tell you how many I expect - but we are going to play without Pogba a few matches".

"So, for me, it's just simple and objective: he's not playing this weekend".

Expanding later in the media conference, Mourinho continued: "We have players and we have players waiting for an opportunity".

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Asked to expand on Pogba's injury, he added: "I just know that it's a muscular injury, he's out for the weekend match, that's the only match I'm thinking about, I don't think any further than that".

Pogba played 51 games last season but missed three weeks in March after succumbing to a similar injury to the one he suffered on Tuesday night and was given advice on how to strengthen his muscles to avoid potential set-backs. Pogba has struck up a friendship with Lemar and has sent him Instagram messages suggesting he is brokering a deal to bring Lemar to Old Trafford. "Sometimes in this country the word legend comes too easily, but that's not the case here".

"Marcos Rojo is still in the timings of such an important injury, everything went really well".

However, the Monaco squad played well, and this encouraging performance despite the absence of Lemar may well make them more amenable to an approach in January - with United ready to break the bank to land the player, who was the subject of plenty of transfer attention over the summer from Arsenal and Liverpool.

Another option is Belgian Marouane Fellaini, who replaced Pogba against Basel and scored the second goal in the 3-0 success along with club captain Michael Carrick.